I’ll admit, before learning to sew, I had some strong associations between home-sewing and second rated-ness. I used to occasionally flick through commercial pattern books and what I saw was all a bit beccy-home-eccy. And it did not make me want to run out and buy a sewing machine. Anyway, around the time I actually did start sewing, I had taken on little challenge of buying no new clothes for a year. Now, like we all do, I like clothes. I like their colors, their textures, their patterns, the way they make you feel. I like playing dress ups. I like fashion. And I liked buying them. I realised the only way this sewing instead of buying game was going to work, was if I could get to a point where the clothes I was sewing were actually as good or better looking (inside and out) than ones I’d be buying otherwise. If at the end of the challenge I still felt like I was ‘missing out’ by not buying clothes then I’d just run back into the arms of beloved ready-to-wear. That was then, this is now and I still don’t feel like I’m missing out. Even crazier still is I haven’t once felt second-rate in my hand-made wardrobe!
Part of the fun and the on-going challenge of sewing a closet I’d choose over a bought one, is coming up with ways to incorporate it with what’s happening out there, fashion wise. And sometimes you have magical moments, mostly trawling Pinterest, where trend and its matching sewing pattern become one. Instead of ferreting these happy couples away on my Pinterest sewing board, I’m making a regular feature of it and sharing them here. Round one: the cropped jacket!